MEMORIES OF SPRING
TO A BUTTERFLY, William Wordsworth
WORD MEANING
1.
Indeed –
truly, certainly, definitely
2.
Feed –
give food to
3.
Frozen –
chilled
4.
Breeze –
wind
5.
Forth –
onwards, forward
6.
Plot –
area
7.
Lodge –
stay
C.2 FROM THE TEXT
a. What is exoskeleton?
Butterflies and other insects have their skeletons on
the outside of their bodies. It is called exoskeleton.
b. Why does the speaker offer his orchard as
a sanctuary to the butterfly?
Sanctuary is a safe place and the speaker offers his
orchard as a sanctuary to the butterfly to rest its wings when they are weary.
C. 4 ANSWER THE
FOLLOWING QUESTIONS
1. Poetic Voice and Tone
a. Who do you think is the speaker of the
poem? Who is the speaker addressing? Why is ‘B’ capitalized in Butterfly?
The speaker of the poem (the poet himself) is a
grown-up person who looks back to his childhood days.
The speaker is addressing to a butterfly.
The poet might have tried to personify, raise and
glorify the butterfly as a majestic and something worth. Hence capitalized ‘B’
in Butterfly.
b. Describe the speaker’s attitude towards
the butterfly.
The speaker's attitude towards the butterfly is one of
respect and admiration. The speaker appreciates the little Butterfly and is
humble enough to make friendship with it.
c. Is the tone
conversational/playful/serious/philosophical in the poem?
Most part of the poem is conversational; we may also
find especially in the first stanza the poem to be a little philosophical. In
his conversation the poet talks to himself wondering about the beauty of
nature, as though the Butterfly is listening to him.
2. Structure and Rhyme
a. How many lines does each stanza have?
b. Does the speaker use complete sentences,
fragments or a combination of both in the poem? What is its purpose?
No, the poet dose not uses complete sentences. This
poem is sonnet, therefore to maintain the structure of a sonnet, he writes this
poem in such way.
c. Does the poem follow an identifiable
rhyme scheme?
Yes, the poem has an identifiable rhyme scheme which
is ‘a a b b c d c c d’.
3. Theme and Implied Meaning
a. How do you think the speaker relates to
nature in this poem?
The speaker William Wordsworth, by beautifying a
creature of nature such as tiny butterfly, yellow flower, song of sunshine et.;
writes this meditation upon nature.
b. What feelings are evoked when the speaker
transports to his boyhood days?
As the speaker transports to his boyhood days, hope
and despair are evoked. The speaker says that butterfly reminds him many past
incidents from his life. He, therefore, requests the butterfly to stay near him
and not to go away.
c. Do you think the speaker talks only of
nature and his childhood days? Comment on the concept of time as presented in
the poem.
I do not think the speaker talks only of nature and his childhood days. As the butterfly reminds him many past incidents from his life. He, therefore, requests the butterfly to stay near him and not to go away. He assures it to give his orchard where it can lodge without any fear.
C.5 Read the text and choose the correct option: (Page 49)
Come often to us, fear no wrong;
Sit near us on the bough!
We’ll talk of sunshine days, when we were young;
Sweet childish days, that were as long
As twenty days are now.
a. In the above lines, ‘us’ refers to
iv. the speaker and his sister.
b. According to the extract, the speaker assures the butterfly that
i. he would not harm it.
c. From the lines, We’ll talk of sunshine…, we can infer that the speaker is
iii. nostalgic.
d. Read these sentences. Select the sentences that match what the speaker wants to convey in the extract.
1. The speaker is fond of nature and natural things.
2. The butterfly is weary of her surroundings.
3. The summer season lasts only for twenty days.
4. The speaker cherishes his childhood days.
iii. 1 and 4.
C.6 Answer these questions by choosing the correct options: (Page 50)
a. The opening lines of the poem tell us that the speaker is
ii. patient.
b. Select the option that is NOT TRUE about the speaker’s reference to childhood.
iv. The speaker’s mind and heart are filled with dreams and desires from his childhood.
C.7 ANSWER THE
QUESTIONS BRIEFLY
a. How does the speaker compare the
butterfly to other natural things or phenomena?
In "To A Butterfly," the speaker compares
the butterfly to a child, a golden flower, a humble creature, a rainbow, a star
of heaven, and a hidden poet. These comparisons highlight the butterfly's
cuteness, innocence, vibrant colours, and its delicate, transient existence in
nature.
b. based on your reading of the poem, can
you say that the speaker feels inspired and influenced by nature? Justify using
instances from the poem.
The poem's reflection of the butterfly's fleeting
beauty and its parallels with nature's impermanence align with Wordsworth's
theme of finding profound meaning in simple moments, nurturing his connection
with nature and human experience.
c. Why does the speaker call his childhood
days sweet? What do you think he misses about his childhood?
The speaker, William Wordsworth, call his childhood
days as "sweet" to recall a sense of innocence in childhood.
Childhood represents a time of wonder, freedom, and closeness to nature. The
speaker being a romantic, praises nature and think of his wonderful childhood.
Wordsworth misses the carefree and innocent days of
his childhood. He wants the simplicity and purity of his childhood.
d. Butterflies fluttering their wings from
flower to flower is a sight to behold. Do you see many butterflies where you
live? What could be the possible reasons for their presence/ absence?
Yes, I could see a few butterflies fluttering their
wings from flower to flower in past. Now I do not see many butterflies. The
reason for this is modern society, in which we lack forests and garden. Constructions
and building settlement do not prioritize this reason.
C.8 ANSWER THE
FOLLOWIGN QUESTIONS IN DETAILS
a. William Wordsworth is a nature poet.
Justify the statement with reference to the poem.
William Wordsworth is undoubtedly a nature poet. Through
this poem he exalts the celebrates nature's beauty, emotional depth,
imaginative comparisons, individual reflection. He enjoys seeing the tiny
butterfly sitting upon a yellow flower being carried away by breeze.
b. The poem is written in a narrative mode.
Imagine the speaker conversing with the butterfly and the latter responding to
him. Write down the conversation.
Speaker: I have been watching you for nearly half an
hour. It’s amazing how you can remain so still and motionless!
Butterfly: Oh, that quite naturally happens when I
taste the sweetest nectar…
DO BY SELF…
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